Knowledge Centre

Data, Reports, Case studies, blog

The Knowledge Centre aims to support the development of a robust and meaningful evidence base of CDFI lending. It will collate research, promote learnings through case studies and blogs, and increase transparency of available and new data. All the outputs of the Evaluation run by Sheffield Hallam’s Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research will be posted here.

More content will be added over the coming months

Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise 2019-2021

This is the Interim Report of the Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise Facility (CIEF), undertaken by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) at Sheffield Hallam University. Previous reports from this evaluation include the 2019 and 2020 annual reports (Dayson and Damm, 2020, 2021), and a thematic report into the CDFIs’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Damm, Dayson and Leather, 2021). The aim of this report is to provide a holistic stocktake of progress three years into the CIEF project.

 Read the full report here 

thumbnail of CISG_Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise Facility_2022_05_FINAL (1)

 

...read more

/ Posted on 14/12/2022

Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise Facility 2020

This is the Second Annual Report of the Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise Facility (CIEF) being undertaken by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) at Sheffield Hallam University1.

CIEF has invested into four CDFIs across the UK between 2018-25, to help meet the needs of underserved micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which have a positive impact in the disadvantaged communities where they operate. These four CDFIs were identified as market leaders with sufficient scale, reach and lending track record to support the goals of the CIEF.

Read the full report here

thumbnail of CISG_Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise Facility_wURLS_FINAL

...read more

/ Posted on 08/04/2022

Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise Facility Deep dive: CDFIs’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic

This report forms part of the Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise Facility (CIEF) being undertaken by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) at Sheffield Hallam University. Its purpose is to take a more in-depth look at the impact of the COVID-19 upon the CIEF fund and the four Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) involved in its delivery.

Read the full report here

thumbnail of CISG_Evaluation of the Community Investment Enterprise Facility COVID_v3

...read more

/ Posted on 07/04/2022

European funding and the responsible finance sector

The Government’s central aim to ‘level-up’ the UK can be realised by deploying funds through expert organisations already stationed in the most deprived regions of the UK.

The Government can make best use of its post-Brexit funding by utilising the vehicles already in place which encourage enterprise in typically underserved areas; a consortium of national CDFIs would ensure full coverage of the UK’s regions.

Read the full report.

...read more

/ Posted on 17/04/2020

Building the Evidence Base for Community Investment – Our Learning Approach

Earlier this year Big Society Capital launched a range of community investment initiatives with partners, including the £30 million Community Investment Enterprise Facility, to help meet the capital needs of underserved small businesses located in disadvantaged communities across the UK. Core to this was our strong desire to learn and build a robust evidence base of CDFI lending – this update sets out how we plan to do that.

...read more

/ Posted on 09/01/2019

Setting a vision for community investment

This is the second in a series of updates about our work to support underserved small enterprises in disadvantaged areas across the UK through community investment. We set out a five-year vision for community investment which has been developed collectively by the enterprise lending Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs).

...read more

/ Posted on 06/08/2018

Community Investment Launch

Big Society Capital is launching a programme of initiatives around community investment to support local businesses to improve lives and the communities where they operate.

...read more

/ Posted on 01/02/2018